Central Florida’s Denée Benton is coming home to give an exclusive performance at the annual Orlando Shakes gala in the spring.

“Having Denée Benton join us for this year’s gala is an incredible honor,” wrote Orlando Shakes Board president Noni Holmes-Kidd in making the announcement. “Her artistry, grace and commitment to storytelling embody the very spirit of Orlando Shakes. This celebration reflects the strength of our community and the power of theater to inspire, uplift and bring us together.”

Benton is currently starring in the Emmy award-winning HBO series “The Gilded Age,” which released its third season in June and will be back for a fouth. She plays Peggy Smith, an intelligent and ambitious journalist, in the show that spotlights wealth disparity and the conflict between “old money” and “new money” in the era after the Civil War.

But it’s far from the first high-profile role for Benton, a 2010 graduate of Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park who grew up in that city and Oviedo. Even before her 2014 graduation from Carnegie Mellon University she had been cast as sweet Nabulungi in the national tour of “The Book of Mormon.”

Her stage work also includes more than year on Broadway as Eliza — that’s Alexander’s long-suffering wife — in hit “Hamilton” and originating one of the titular roles in the musical “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” — a role that earned her a Tony nomination.

Appropriately for an Orlando Shakes headliner, she recently starred as Thaisa, the title character’s love interest, in a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Pericles,” presented as a gospel-style concert by The Public Theater in New York City.

Benton also has appared in the Peacock feature film “Genie” and the independent feature film “Our Friend.” She starred as Ruby in Lifetime’s television series “UnReal.”

In 2020, she returned to Central Florida for a concert at her alma mater, where she reflected that this was the place where “the seeds of my dreams were planted.”

Denée Benton, who grew up in Central Florida, is pictured at the Glamour Women of the Year event at The Plaza on Nov. 4, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Glamour)

This will be the second year running that the Orlando Shakes gala has featured a homegrown star. Last year, Tony-nominated star of stage and screen Norm Lewis headlined the event with a concert performance.

The 2026 gala will be March 26 at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 812 E. Rollins St. in Orlando. It is presented by Lowndes and Fidelity National Title group, with the entertainment sponsored by Massey Services.

This year’s theme, “The Gilded Age,” pays tribute to Benton’s appearance in the TV series. Food will be provided by Orlando restaurants, and there will be silent and live auctions in addition to Benton’s performance.

The annual fundraising gala is critical to the nonprofit theater company. The 2024 event with Lewis raised almost $400,000. Ticket pricing for this year’s gala has not yet been announced; tickets will be available at a later date at orlandoshakes.org.

Denée Benton was nominated for a Tony award for her leading role in the musical “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.” (Orlando Sentinel file photo)

This year’s event is under the leadership of board members Rita Lowndes and Janet Ziomek.

“We are thrilled to welcome Denée Benton as the featured performer for this year’s gala,” they wrote in a statement. “Her extraordinary talent and presence make this evening truly special. We have crafted an evening that blends elegance, artistry and celebration — and we cannot wait to share this unforgettable experience with our Orlando Shakes community.”

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https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/24/denee-benton-orlando-shakes-gala/